Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani gave his Samurai Japan teammates a gift before they head to the WBC knockout stages.
Team Japan right-hander Fujihira Shoma posted a picture to his Instagram story Tuesday, depicting himself along with pitcher Ryuhei Sotani and Koki Kitayama each holding a box with Ohtani’s name on it. The box also had the “Beats by Dre” logo beneath his name, implying he gifted his teammates a pair of headphones for their trip.
Ohtani is a global brand ambassador for Beats by Dre, and has been since Sept. 2024. He has featured in ad campaigns with international sports superstars like LeBron James and Lionel Messi while representing the company.
“As a Beats ambassador, I am truly honored to work with such incredible athletes such as Lebron James and Lionel Messi,” Ohtani said after finalizing the partnership. “I am excited at the new opportunities this partnership will bring.”
Team Japan will travel as a team from Tokyo to Miami for the knockout stages of the WBC, where they will place the runner-up in Pool D. They don’t know their opponent in the next round just yet, but they will face either the Dominican Republic or Venezuela, who sit atop their group and have already secured their spots in the next round. The two teams will face off Wednesday in the final game of pool play to decide who finishes where.
Japan will not face the loser until Saturday, March 14 at loanDepot park in Miami.
How Has Shohei Ohtani Played During the WBC?
While Ohtani hasn’t pithed during the WBC and won’t for the remainder of the tournament, he has more than made up for his absence on the mound with his offensive play.
He played in each of Team Japan’s first three games this tournament, stepping up to the plate 13 times. He recorded five hits, four walks, two home runs, six RBIs and four runs during that time. He’s slashing .556/.692/1.333 during the tournament for a team-leading 2.025 OPS.
Team Japan went undefeated in the pool play stage largely in part to Ohtani’s contributions, and he’ll look to continue providing for the team throughout the remainder of the tournament.
Can Team Japan win the WBC for the second time in a row?